Aiwa F660 (1983)

A three-head, dual capstan cassette deck from the mid-1980s. It holds up well and needs a belt replacement now and then.

Overview

The Aiwa F660 is a stereo cassette deck made by Aiwa in 1983. It has three heads and a dual capstan transport. Playback and record heads are separate, so you can compare the source signal against the recorded one. Units turn up at estate sales and are still in use decades after production. They often need new belts to keep working.

Specifications

Type	3-head, single compact cassette deck
Dimensions	420 x 110 x 280mm
Weight	5.5kg
Power Requirements	120v / 50-60Hz
Total Harmonic Distortion	1.5%
Input	50mV (line), 0.3mV (mic)
Semiconductors	17 x IC, 78 x transistors, 29 x diodes, 46 x LED
Dolby	Dolby B, C
Back panel switches	headphone level (low/high), MPX filter

Design

The Aiwa F660 has three heads and a dual capstan drive. Because the playback and record head sections are separate, you can compare the recorded output directly against the original source signal.

Context

The Aiwa F660 was grouped with the F-770 and F-990 as high-performance cassette decks of the mid-1980s. Enthusiasts rated them as strong competitors to other premium brands of the era.

Market

Listings show reconditioned units selling for around $250, and non-working units for near $220. The deck is sensitive to belt quality, so replacing the drive belts is a common maintenance job. Forum discussions also point to servicing the electrolytic capacitors in the power supply over time.